Bucket List
by nothingleft
Summary: Edward wants to make sure Bella doesn't miss out on any of life's important moments. Bella's only got the one request. The Cullen clan take it upon themselves to make sure Bella doesn't miss a thing. Pure fluff.
1. The Bucket List

**AN- This story is not a story really. It's a series of one shots that are meant to be fun and fluffy and only loosely relate to one another. It will be an outlet for when my personal writing isn't going well and I need to spend some time with Characters that speak loudly and do what I ask them to, most of the time. At times it will be borderline parody and I ask you not to take it too seriously. It is meant only in fun. No drama. I've had quite enough. 8P This is a very short chapter, that sets up the premise for the series of one-shots. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**Bucket List**

Seeing as Edward's body pressing against my side was much more exciting than anything we might have been currently watching on TV, I was lost in my own scandalous thoughts when his velvet voice sounded in my ear.

"That's actually a good idea," he mused.

"What?" I squeaked mortified by my own imaginings.

"A Bucket List," he said gesturing at the TV. I glanced at it; there was a commercial for shampoo on that promised 'touchably soft'. I blinked, trying very hard to get my mind out of the gutter.

"What?" I asked again.

Edward chuckled, the vibrations shaking my body as well, "_I_ was talking about the commercial for the movie that just came on. Where were _you_ just now?" He smirked at me. I scowled at him, knowing that with my heart rate, breathing, and who knows what other indications my body had once again betrayed me in confessing to Edward _exactly_ where I had been. I decided to turn the tables on him.

"_I_ was enjoying our wedding night," I said saucily, "And now I'm _not_ going to tell you how." Edward stared at me for a split second before shutting his mouth with an audible _snap_. At first I was irritated by the speed of his recovery but smiled when he had to clear his throat before he spoke again.

"As I was saying," he intoned smoothly, as though we hadn't both just been thinking what we'd been thinking, "I think making a Bucket List is a good idea."

"A list of things to do before we die?" I asked, somewhat confused.

"Exactly," he responded as though it made perfect sense.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Edward, but you're already dead," I reminded him.

He rolled his eyes, "A Bucket List for you, Silly Bella. To make sure you have no regrets. Then you can look back and know you lived your life to the fullest."

I thought about it for a moment. It did sound like a good idea. There was only one minor glitch. "But didn't we already cover this? There's really only one thing I want to do before I die," I paused and there was a very heavy silence, "and we can't do that, yet."

Edward smirked again and kissed my forehead, "My poor Bella, always the victim of her hormones," I scowled again and this time he leaned forward and kissed my lips.

I thought about pulling away, but who was I kidding? There wasn't a female alive, or dead for that matter, that could pull away from kissing Edward. I was rewarded for my willingness by Edward wrapping his arms around me and deepening the kiss. He stroked my face and my hair, then finally pulled away.

"You are not the only one daydreaming of our wedding night, Bella," he admitted while I tried to catch my breath. "But thinking of _other_ things you want to do before you die may help us both to pass the time without going completely insane."

He had a very good point. I finally got enough air to speak, "Okay, but I'll have to think about it. I can't think of something off the top of my head," I said. _I can't think of __**anything**__ at the moment, _I thought.

Just then, Edward's cell phone starting to sing, "Insane in the membrane, Insane in the BRAIN!" I looked at him in surprise.

"Hello, Alice," he said without looking at the caller ID. I broke out in hysterical laughter. Edward listened for a moment and then hung up, smiling. I suddenly had a very foreboding feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Alice has an idea. In fact, the whole family is full of ideas, apparently. They want to help make your Bucket List."

"Sounds swell," I muttered as Edward pulled me lightly to my feet and ushered me out the door. He chuckled at my reluctance, knowing I only half meant it. The morbid half of me was curious what a bunch of vampires would consider worthy human experiences to put on a Bucket List.

* * *

**Not my most profound work, but I'm just letting off some steam and I hope you all come along. I only have one or two one-shot ideas at the moment. The next chapter will be up in the next few days... but I won't be updating at the feverish pace I used to. Which is why they will be more like one-shots than continuous chapters. Any ideas are welcome.**

Alice's ring tone was my wonderful husband's idea. I laughed so hard, I couldn't leave it out.


	2. Emmett, no, Alice

**First off, I forgot the whole disclaimer bit in the first chapter…. Ahem… I don't own anything that makes any kind of money, including the Twilight characters, The Bucket List, any of the songs I mention, yadda yadda yadda, you all know what I'm saying.**

**Secondly, HOLY CROW! Who knew you were all still watching? I posted the first chapter last night and now there are already 61 alerts for this goofy story! I was just going to spout stuff off to blow steam… now it has to be good! LOL **

**Thirdly, thank you for all the compliments for originality, but I can't believe there aren't fifty stories like this already! Okay, before the AN gets longer than the post, let's get on with it.**

* * *

**Emmett, No, Alice**

We pulled up the Cullen's drive and Edward parked for a moment without turning off the car. The feeling of foreboding began to creep into dread.

"What's up?" I asked.

"You might want to prepare yourself," Edward said with a smile. "Alice is very…excited."

Dread gave way to full blown panic.

"What is she planning?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"She won't let me see," he replied, still smiling. How could he be so calm about this?

"And that doesn't make you nervous?" I asked incredulously. He usually found being blocked fairly annoying.

Instead he chuckled, "Don't worry, Love. I won't let them get too carried away. I'm pleased they all want to share this with you so much." He glanced into the house and his smile brightened even more, "Even Rosalie."

Holy Crow. This could NOT be good. Ignoring my thundering heart, Edward turned off the car and came around to help me out.

"What happened to letting me prepare myself?" I asked.

"You were taking too long," he smirked. He pulled me to his side and kissed the top of my head while I grumbled about impatient, crazy, lunatic, undead vampires under my breath.

We walked into a waiting ambush of Cullens. They all looked entirely too excited for my taste, their eyes bright. Alice was literally vibrating on Jasper's lap while he tried to calm her. Then I realized this _was_ her calmed and felt nauseous.

"Uh, hey guys," I stuttered, "What's up?"

Alice snapped like a rubber band, flinging herself at me. Edward took a step in front of me so she didn't accidently crush me in her hyper state. She was completely undeterred, however and simply began to jump in place.

"Bella! This is going to be SOOO much fun! I saw that you really don't have anything to add to the list so we decided while you were driving over here that we would each just take a turn deciding what you should try, but then we couldn't decide who gets to go first, so we had to wait for you to get here and pick before we could start planning, so hurry up and decide!" She spouted at me.

I blinked blankly at her a few times before my brain could catch up to her rapid fire speech. I probably missed a few things, but understood I was supposed to pick one of them to go first.

Which one of them would I choose? Alice was definitely out; she was waaaaay to antsy for her turn. Jasper would probably want me to try something challenging and I just wasn't up for that in my present state. Rose just plain scared me. That left Emmett. He was exuberant, but mostly harmless right?

The minute I decided, Alice's face fell and I felt guilty, but not guilty enough to choose her. Not until she stopped bouncing.

"Emmett?" It came out as a question.

"YES!" he shouted, pumping his fist in the air.

"NO!" roared Edward, causing me to jump. Alice laughed out loud.

"What?" Emmett asked a little too innocently.

"Absolutely not!" Edward yelled, with a little less volume, for my sake I'm sure.

"C'mon Edward!" Emmett whined, "She'd have so much fun!"

"I said _no_," Edward's voice was now very quiet. I shuddered; it was much scarier than when he shouted. Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea.

"Why not?" Emmett said rebelliously.

Edward looked right at me and said, "Emmett wants to take you sky diving."

I blanched and Edward had to catch me when my knees gave out.

"_That_ is why not," Edward said.

"C'mon Bells, it's not like you'd get hurt!" Emmett protested, "You know we'd keep you safe. What could go wrong?"

Edward raised a perfect eyebrow in disbelief, "Emmett, have you _met_ Bella? What could go _wrong_?"

Emmett opened his mouth, looked at me and then pouted in defeat. I was pretty sure I should be offended, but was too relived I didn't have to jump out of a plane.

"Apparently we need some rules," Edward said leading me over to the couch and pulling me protectively into his lap. "First, absolutely nothing life threatening. We are trying to help Bella make the most of her remaining life, not expedite her death."

Emmett's pout deepened and I couldn't help but giggle, which prompted Edward to kiss my temple.

"Second, nothing illegal." I looked at him in shock. Wasn't that an obvious assumption? Then I thought about how 'nothing life threatening' should have been obvious as well. What had I agreed to? "Third, I get final veto."

"Wait," I interrupted, "Shouldn't _I_ get final veto?"

"No," they all said in unison. Then they laughed at my stricken face.

"Okay, give me a second to think of something else," Emmett offered.

"Too late, Emmett," Alice said, "You wasted your turn by suggesting something inappropriate. Now it's my turn."

"Wait!" I cried in panic, "I thought I got to pick who went first."

"You did, he blew it, now it's my turn," Alice declared. I knew it wouldn't do any good to argue. "Bye Bella."

My eyes grew wide again. "W-What?" I asked.

Alice laughed in a tinkling chorus of bells, "I'm coming for you first thing in the morning, you need to get some sleep."

I looked around at the rest of them, and while I could tell they didn't know what she had planned, they also new better than to argue. Edward helped me up and ushered me out of the house. As the shock wore off on the ride home, I noticed Edward was still smiling.

"You know what she's planning, don't you?" I accused.

"Not exactly," he hedged. I glared at him. He chuckled, "But in general, yes."

"And you're not going to tell me," I stated.

"Nope," he grinned.

BLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBlBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBL

True to her word, Alice was dragging me out of bed at six o'clock the next morning. I groaned and latched onto Edward with everything I had, but he only chuckled and let Alice pry me off.

"So much for my heroic knight in sparkling skin," I sulked loudly.

"Shhh!" Alice hissed, "Charlie is awake and knows I'm abducting you, but I doubt you want him to know I'm stealing you away from _Edward_, who is in your _bed_."

I was suddenly much more awake and shut my mouth. Edward chuckled again, kissed my forehead, then headed for the window. Just before he jumped, however he suddenly spun around and had me in his arms again. He kissed me solidly before turning to Alice, "Be careful with her," he instructed Alice in a whisper I could barely hear. Then he was gone. I stood there in a pleasant haze until Alice began tugging at my arm.

"C'mon Bella! We don't want to be late for our appointment!"

"At least let me get dressed first!" I cried as she hauled me out of my room.

"Fine," she huffed, "But hurry!"

I stared at her for a minute. Since when does Alice not care what I was wearing? Then she stamped her little foot and I sprinted around the room pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt I hoped was clean. Apparently I didn't have time to check.

"Have fun, Bella!" Charlie called as Alice rushed me out the front door. I barely had time to wave before Alice slammed it behind us.

"What appointment?" I finally thought to ask, as I noticed Rosalie's audacious car parked in my ordinary driveway.

"We're having a spa day!" Alice cried excitedly.

Even though I was terrified about the prospects of what Alice would consider a 'spa day' I was so exhausted by the early hour that I was asleep before we made it out of town.

"Wake up, sleepy head, we're he-re!" Alice sang as she shook my shoulder. I opened my eyes groggily and could see that even Rose seemed excited to be here. I decided to try and be positive.

"Hit me with it," I said. Maybe it was still too early to be positive. Walking into the Spa, we were immediately surrounded with tranquil music flowing through a Zen atmosphere. Perhaps I could sleep through most of the treatments.

All thoughts of sleep were quickly erased, however, when I realized why Alice hadn't cared what I put on this morning. I would be spending the day in one of the Spa plush robes, _and nothing else!_ I thought I was as far out of my comfort zone as possible, but then I was plucked, waxed, and buffed from head to toe. I had drawn the line at waxing a certain area of my anatomy. Though I had almost given in when Alice threatened to call Edward and ask if he wanted to veto it. It was only when I burst into embarrassed tears that Alice relented.

Finally, we were relaxing in a soothing vat of mud and I thought maybe this wasn't so bad. I would _never_ do it again, but I didn't want to kill Alice anymore, either. The three of us were chatting idly about nothing and having a generally grand time, when Alice's phone started to ring from inside her robe at the edge of the mud pond.

'_You're so-o vain…."_ She grabbed it nimbly out of the pocket and answered smoothly, "Hello, Edward." I started to laugh so hard my eyes watered. "Yes, that's Bella laughing, I told you she'd have fun. No, you can't talk to her," I pouted, "Yes, she's pouting. We're almost finished, just one more treatment, then we'll be home. Edward, she's fine. No. Because it's girl time. No. No," by now she was laughing at him, "Seriously Edward, you're pathetic. Yes. Bye."

She hung up the phone and put it back in her robe. "Edward says he loves you," she laughed. Rose rolled her eyes but smiled, "Seriously Bella, that boy has got it _bad_."

"I know," I smiled. "Thank God," I added, causing them both to laugh. "What's our last treatment?" I asked curiously.

They both smiled at me. I didn't like the look of that. "Actually, Bella," Rose said, "This last treatment is just for you."

"Why?" I asked, panic threatening.

"Because it doesn't work out well with our 'skin condition'," Alice said winking at me.

"Just tell me, Alice, please," I begged.

"Now you sound as sad as Edward," Alice laughed, "Relax, Bella, it won't even be painful…You're getting a spray tan!" My jaw dropped and they laughed at me again.

I thought about it for a minute and realized I'd wanted a tan my whole life. I'd never been able to do anything but burn, even growing up in Phoenix.

"Thanks, Alice," I said with emotion. I leaned over and gave her a hug, but quickly remembered the only thing I was presently wearing was mud. I blushed furiously and sat back in my seat.

"I hope that still shows up with her tan," Rosalie said, and we all laughed.

I really should trust Alice. She's a sneaky little Pixie, but she has a good heart.

* * *

**Lots of you thought just like I did about Emmett and sky diving… but like Edward would even consider it! HA! I hope you are enjoying this little romp into the silly. I know I am. Probably a good idea to put it on alert (if you haven't already you fabulous people) because I have no idea when I'll post. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. No cliffies to worry about so we're still friends, right? 8P**

**Thanks again, to my beta Amose! 8P**


	3. Edward

**Edward**

Alice wouldn't let me see myself in the mirror. I was paranoid. Had the spray tan come out okay, or did I look like a radioactive orange? I had thought it looked nice while I was getting dressed, but the lighting in the locker room was not great. What if all the blushing I did made it hard for them to do my face evenly? Not like I could help it, having three women looking so intently at my naked body. (Alice was in a hurry, of course)

By the time we got back to the Cullen House (Manor?), however, all I could think about was seeing Edward. I had missed him. Pathetic, I know, but I didn't care. I was pulling an Alice and literally bouncing in my seat as we pulled up the drive. I was a little disappointed when Edward didn't come barreling out of the house. But that was nothing compared to the surprise of having Alice chuck me over her tiny shoulder and speed me up through the house and into her bathroom, slamming the door behind us.

"Al-ice!" Edward whined from the other side. I would have joined his protests, but I was too dizzy from traveling upside-down at mach nine. I put my head between my knees, but groaned my agreement.

"Ed-ward!" she mocked him. "I promise she'll be ready for you on time, but only if you leave us alone! And I promise you'll like it."

I expected to hear Edward's moody stomps moving away from the door. Instead I heard a soft thump, followed by a long slide down the door and a deep sigh. I bit my lip and looked at Alice.

"Is he sitting outside the door?" I asked, trying not to giggle.

"Like the sad puppy he is. You should see his face!" Alice laughed.

"And you're going to let him stay there?" I asked. Usually during a Bella-Barbie session he was regulated to the downstairs, if not out of the house.

"He's had a long day," Alice said sympathetically. I laughed at her.

"Wait, where's Rose?" I asked suspiciously. Usually Rose tortured my hair while Alice attacked my face.

"She's finding you an outfit, silly. You can't exactly go out with Edward in your pajamas," she replied innocently.

"I'm going out with Edward?" My, but wasn't I full of questions.

"It's my turn," came his muffled voice through the door. I could hear the smile in it.

"Really?" I asked, this time it was excitedly. I was sure Edward would think of something….creative for us to do.

I heard his velvet laugh, "They took pity on me and my pathetic self."

"But not before Emmett and Jasper razzed him for all they were worth," amended Alice.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Edward," I sympathized.

"I'm getting used to it," he chuckled.

Alice handed me a bottle of expensive looking body lotion. "What's this for?" I asked. It was not a normal part of her beauty regime.

"My but aren't you full of questions," Alice commented, making me blush. I wondered again if it still showed up through my new tan. Alice giggled, and answered my question, both of them, "Yes, it shows up, but not quite as pronounced. It's actually quite lovely. And the lotion is for the smell."

_What smell?_ I thought as Edward asked, "That smell is _Bella_?"

"Relax, both of you. It's temporary, and the lotion smells delicious," she gave me a pointed look, "Put it on."

Figuring my tan must not smell all that great to vampire I did as I was told and smoothed the floral-smelling lotion into my skin from head to toe. I was past being embarrassed of being mostly naked in front of Alice. I can only care about my modesty for so many continuous hours in one day.

"That does smell nice," Edward acquiesced from outside. I agreed with him. It had also given my skin a shimmery sheen.

"Okay, Alice, I like it. What next?" I was finally giving over.

"About time," Alice chided me for my reluctance, "Have I ever steered you wrong?" she asked, batting her lashes at me. "Hush, Edward," she glared at the door.

I laughed. Alice put what seemed to be an entire bottle of some kind of product in my hair and then wound it into what must have been a hundred large curlers. Okay, so I'm exaggerating, but even with the size of the rollers, I have a lot of hair. I was actually excited as she put my make-up on. It didn't feel heavy at all and the colors looked shimmery, like what the lotion had done to my skin. I decided the tan must not be so bad, if she wasn't trying to cover it up.

"I suggest you slide over, Edward," Alice warned. Then there was a scuffle and the door whipped open and shut. Rosalie stood there, looking irritated.

"What the hell is he doing right in front of the door?" She asked indignantly, "He nearly saw the clothes!"

"What can I say, Rose?" I asked, innocently batting my curled eyelashes, "You're brother is simply infatuated." The girls laughed and I heard Edward chuckling as well. Then I saw what Rosalie was referring to as 'clothes' and stopped laughing.

"Rose? What is _that_?" I choked.

"They're dresses, of course! What do you think, blue or cream?" she asked brightly, holding them up for me to see.

"Cream, definitely," Alice answered for me. "Blue may be Edward's favorite, but with… Bella's make-over, I think the cream will be perfect." I finally realized my tan was a secret from Edward. It didn't help my nerves. Rose hung the blue piece of cloth over the shower door and held the cream one up in front of me. My eyes bugged out.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, horrified.

"It's mine," Alice said, archly. Whoops.

"Well, obviously it's not going to fit _me_, then," I said in relief. Silence. "Oh, come _**on**_!" I cried, "Alice is _tiny_!"

"Alice may be shorter than you, Bella, but other wise, you're about the same size," Rosalie corrected me. "It's not like you could borrow something of mine," she commented looking down at my chest.

"But why do I have to borrow anything at all?" I begged, "Why can't I just get something from home?"

"Because this is part of expanding your horizons via your Bucket List," Alice explained, "I would have bought something, but there wasn't time. This has all been so spontaneous." I could hear the frustration in her voice. I realized this was hard for her, not having much forewarning.

"But, as you pointed out, Rose, Alice is shorter than I am," I said making a last ditch effort to escape that little dress, "That isn't even going to cover my butt."

"Oh, it'll cover your _butt_," Rose grinned.

"How about a veto vote?" Alice offered, smirking. "I have to show this one to Edward ahead of time anyway…." Before I could ask her to elaborate on that she sent a meaningful look of concentration to the door. My eyes followed her gaze, waiting for the explosion of disapproval. I had tried to warn her. No way Edward would approve of this.

But there was only silence from the other room.

"Well, Edward?" Alice questioned smugly. The look on her face was matched by Rosalie's.

"_Bella_?" Edward's voice was clearly shocked, but without seeing his face, I couldn't tell if it was a good shocked or a horrified one. I waited, but he didn't continue.

"Edward?" I prodded, with no response. "The tan is only temporary, it will fade long before the wedding, and I don't have to wear that dress." That earned me a glare from the girls, "Even if they force me into it, we can stop by Charlie's and change before whatever it is we're doing. Please don't be upset. We'll fix it." I would have gone on, but he interrupted me.

"I like it," he said quietly, but the tone in his voice stopped mine in my throat. I could tell he had stood and was now facing the door.

"Really?" I questioned, shocked, but relieved. The tan I would have to live with for a bit, but the dress I could fix, "You don't think it's too…" I paused trying to find a tactful word for Alice's dress. She raised a delicate eyebrow. "Much?" I finished.

"I like it," he repeated. Rose and Alice erupted into giggles at the blush creeping up my neck. "I'm going to get changed. You have half an hour, Alice."

That stopped the giggles. "Edward! That's not enough time! I won't be finished." Alice cried. "She won't look like I showed you," she tried.

"You should have thought of that before sending me such a vision," he countered. Then he chuckled, "Now I will see her like that for the rest of the night, regardless. Thirty minutes."

"Fine," Alice pouted.

"No, Alice, I'm _not_ wearing that," Edward said in a tone that made me see him pinching the bridge of his nose. Alice squinted at him through the door. He sighed, "Alright, you have a point. But you also only have twenty-nine minutes left." I heard a whisper of movement and knew he was gone.

Alice and Rosalie took Edward at his word and began to pull curlers from my hair at the speed of light. I could barely keep track of their fingers. I suddenly realized something. "If you can do this so fast, why do you usually take so long?"

Rose rolled her eyes as if I were an idiot, but Alice answered me, "Bella, part of the fun in getting dressed-up is the dressing up itself."

"Oh."

My hair was finished in fifteen minutes, a new record. I thought I might even be ready a little early, until Rose tossed me something I knew must be clothing, but couldn't identify.

"What is this?" I asked. Rose snorted, again finding my naiveté humorous.

"It's a bra, Bella. For a backless dress," Alice explained, turning the dress around. Sure enough, it came together at my neck, but there was nothing but air where the back of the dress should be. I looked down at the fabric in my hands. I was able to identify fully padded cups, but was confounded by what seemed to be miles of straps.

Fifteen minutes later, after much laughing and twisting and more laughing, I was finally in the dress. The biggest surprise was that it was actually comfortable. The top was not so tight that I couldn't breathe, but fit close enough that I could move around without fear of falling out. The bottom hem wasn't any shorter than the shorts I used to wear in Phoenix, though I was a little startled by the breeze. Alice laughed when I commented on it and Rose told me it would remind me to keep my legs together. The blush resulting from _that_ comment sent them both into hysterics.

"Can I finally see a mirror?" I asked petulantly as they composed themselves. Before I could turn, however, Alice clapped her hands over my eyes.

"Wait! You need to get the whole effect at once," she instructed, leading me out of the bathroom to stand in front of her full length mirror. She pulled her hands away and my jaw dropped.

"_Holy Crow_," I whispered. Knowing this was my first tan, the ladies at the spa hadn't gone too overboard. I didn't look like I'd been living on an island my whole life, but I could certainly pass for someplace coastal. Miami, I thought would also match the sparkly skin and make-up. My new, warm skin tone was bringing out highlights I hadn't known my hair had. It fell in great tumbling curls over my shoulders and down my back. The cream dress brought everything together and made it appear I had owned this look for years.

"Absolutely delicious," Edward's voice purred into my ear, his face suddenly appearing over my shoulder in the mirror. His cool fingers brushed my hair back so he could place a kiss on my bare shoulder. I closed my eyes and shivered as I turned into him, his hand coming to my hip to steady me.

"You really like it?" I asked again.

He smiled brightly and gave me a little twirl, my skirt flaring just a little. I giggled.

"Yes, I really do," he replied. "It's very different, and I'm glad you'll be you again for our wedding. But I like it," he assured me, bringing me back into his arms. "And I love _you_," he added, kissing me. Eventually, Rosalie cleared her throat and we parted.

My eyes finally left Edward's face and I saw the rest of him. My heart sped up then stopped as my breath caught. Edward was wearing a chocolate brown, button up shirt with the top few buttons open, how I liked it. The color was warm and looked simply edible with his russet colored locks. But that wasn't what stopped my heart. So help me, those pants should be illegal. They were jet black and for someone with Edward's body it was a sin simply to be wearing them. Or maybe it was a sin for me to be looking at them. I wasn't about to complain about either point. I could see why Edward didn't wear them often, but considering what I was wearing, could also understand why Alice had won him over. We both looked ready to burst into flames.

"Thanks, Alice," we said simultaneously. Then everyone laughed.

"You're most welcome," Alice said.

"And what am I, chopped liver?" Rose asked, clearly miffed.

"Thank you, Rose," I said graciously, "No one can make my hair do the things you do."

She smiled, but it turned to a look of shock as Edward stepped forward and kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Rosie." She began to blink rapidly and Alice took over again.

"Alright, we are _both _queens of beautification! Now, you two scoot! Have fun, Bella and remember this is all about being brave and trying new things."

I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that, but I allowed Edward to escort me to his car and buckle me in. I didn't even bother asking where we were going. By the look on his sneaky, happy face, I knew he wasn't going to tell me.

We drove all the way to Seattle, which surprised me, and pulled up to a Japanese restaurant, which surprised me even more. I tried to think if I'd ever had Japanese cuisine before. With Renee as a mother, it was possible, but not that I could remember. I was then given a third surprise, when instead of waiting to be seated, Edward walked us up to the brightly lit bar.

I was distracted by the combination of the high stool and my short dress. Edward gallantly stood in front of me so I could maneuver without giving a show to the entire restaurant, but then I was further distracted by his pants. So it wasn't until I was carefully perched and my dress arranged appropriately that I realized what we were doing here.

_Sushi_. Now that was something I would remember.

Edward was watching my face carefully. I kept it frozen until I could arrange it into an appropriate expression. Alice was right.

"Wow, Edward, I would never have thought of this," I said honestly.

"Does that mean it was a good idea, or a bad one?" he asked, his gaze still trying to get past my carefully sculpted façade.

I took a deep breath and sighed, letting the mask fall. "I don't know. It's not something I would willingly try on my own, but it's not like it's going to kill me. I may as well give it a shot."

Edward was unconvinced, "Bella, if you really don't want to…"

"No, I do. I'm just not sure what to try or how to eat it, or anything," I said, trying to explain my hesitance. "And it's not like you can show me how," I added wryly.

The sushi chef walked over to us in his tall white hat. Edward smiled and spoke amiably with him, then ordered for me…. all in Japanese. I raised an eyebrow at his showing off.

"What?" he asked with that crooked grin. I rolled my eyes and laughed at him.

"So? What did you order for me?"

"I told him you'd never tried sushi before, and asked if he could recommend something for a beginner. He said he had just the thing for you," he said smiling.

I watched as the chef made several orders at once, wondering which of the colorful creations were intended for me. I had no idea what a lot of it was. Some of it looked like it might actually taste good. Some of it did not. The chef placed a large platter in front of us with several different varieties of sushi on it. Edward said something in Japanese again and the chef gave him a look as though he suddenly thought Edward had the plague. He then nudged the plate much closer to me and kept a close eye on Edward as he pointed to each item while he spoke. Then he left to serve the other customers, but he seemed to stay hyper aware of Edward.

"What in the world did you say to him?" I asked.

"I told him I was allergic to seafood," he said, chuckling.

"Great, now I can't even dare you to try it," I said crossly, but couldn't help smiling. Edward smirked again and I realized that was exactly the point. "Alright, I assume he was telling you what this all is. Let me have it."

Edward pointed to each bit of food as the chef had and described it. Some were ordinary; tuna, salmon, something called a 'California roll' that had avocado in it and sounded delicious. But I quit listening after the one he named a 'spider roll'. He told me it was made with crab, but I decided since this was a one time thing, it may be better not to know.

I was very brave, if I do say so myself, and tried at least a bite of everything. I really liked some of them. The tuna and salmon were sweet, and the California roll was as good as it sounded. I even liked the Spider roll. But some of them were too much for me. I took a bite of one and it was so full of fish eggs, I had to spit it out. I couldn't get past the texture.

Throughout the entire thing, Edward continually plied me with questions. Was is salty or sweet? Heavy or light? When I tried to explain the sensation of how the fish eggs slid around on your tongue, then exploded like a hidden land mine when you bit down, he laughed at me. Over all it was another thing I probably wouldn't try again, but that I had really enjoyed. Maybe not having final veto power was a good thing after all.

Once I declared myself finished, Edward handed me a small blue gift bag. "From Alice," he explained. Inside I found a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, floss, strong mints, and a pack of gum.

I covered my mouth, realizing just how close I was sitting to Edward at the moment.

"What?" he asked, concerned, "What is it?" He peeked in the bag and laughed aloud. "Bella, your breath is not that bad. I think Alice was trying to give you options."

I relaxed a little, but still excused myself to the bathroom, where I used every last item Alice had given me, twice.

* * *

**That came out MUCH longer than I meant it to... I blame Alice. 8P  
**


	4. Alice isn't finished

**AN- I've wanted to do this chapter since I did the wedding story. It's what motivated me to do the Bucket List in the first place. Which is probably why I posted it so close to the last one! 8P  
**

* * *

**Alice isn't finished…**

"Edward," I asked, "Why am I wearing this dress?"

Edward shot me a glance, then looked back at the busy street. His driving might be impeccable, but the human driver's around weren't. "Because if you weren't I'd wreck the car?"

I laughed, "No, you goof, I mean; the restaurant we ate at, well _I_ ate at while you watched, didn't have a dress code or anything. So, why are we dressed to kill?"

Edward stole another glance at me, which lingered on my riding hemline and smirked at my comment. "We aren't really going home, yet," he answered.

"Oh?" I wondered what else Edward could have planed. "Can I ask where we're going?"

He cleared his throat, which made me nervous. "Alice isn't finished with her turn yet."

"Excuse me?" I nearly shrieked. "What on earth else could she want me to do?"

"This idea isn't so much about doing something you can't do as a vampire as it is about doing something you've never done." He paused, "And might not be able to do for a while…after."

I knew what he meant. After I was changed. I would most likely be blood crazed and not be able to go anywhere in public for a year or more. Wait….

"We're going someplace public?" I asked looking down at my dress. It was one thing to look like this for Edward…

"Yes," he said hesitantly, looking at me again. "Bella, we were just in a public restaurant, why are you suddenly so embarrassed?"

"The sushi bar didn't feel all that public," I responded. "But I have this horrible feeling that Alice's next idea will be _very_ public." I sighed, "As long as I'm not in some sort of spotlight I'll probably survive."

Edward pursed his lips, as if to keep from laughing.

"What? Oh, no, are you kidding me?! A spotlight?!" I buried my face in my hands. "Nonononononono," I mumbled.

We had stopped in front a night club and Edward put his hand under my chin raising my face. He cheated by dazzling me thoroughly while he spoke with that sweet as honey voice of his. "Bella, love, all you have to do is walk into a room and you're in a spotlight. With that skin, in that dress…" he paused and broke eye contact long enough to roam them over my body. "I pity any man that has to keep his heart beating."

I blushed deeply and Edward traced his hand along it. Then he leaned in and kissed me sweetly. I caved. A girl can only resist so much. "Alright," I sighed, "But you just remember that you convinced me to go in, when strange men start oogling me." I tried to make a joke.

"Don't worry," Edward said, then came around to open my door and help me out. "I'll beat them off with a stick if I have to." _Which is exactly what I'm afraid of_, I thought as we walked into the crowded club.

It was large enough that here were probably more than a hundred people there, but we were packed in so tight the place still didn't seem huge. We had taken four steps in the door when I noticed the stage that was prominently displayed and lighted up. I squinted and cringed a little at the noise that was currently being poured into the mic by an overzealous, obviously drunk, hygienically challenged woman in her thirties. I could not, for the life or me, figure out why a club this popular would pay for someone like her to entertain. Wait. Nononononono…

"Karaoke!?" I screamed in horror just as the music shut off, causing the entire room to turn and stare. I blushed deep crimson and ducked behind Edward, clutching the back of his jacket. **(Links to all the songs are on my profile. I would open a second window at this point, you know, to get the full effect. 8P)**

"Bella!" Alice called. I peeked out to see her waving energetically from a table right in front of the stage, where Jasper, Rose, and Emmett were currently in hysterics.

The DJ announced the next act, and started the music. Edward allowed me to stay behind for a few more steps, then suddenly I found myself directly in front of him, his arms around me protectively. Before I could ask what was up, we reached our table.

"Damn, Bella!" Emmett swore enthusiastically. "How many jaws have you broken tonight?" he asked Edward.

"None, yet," Edward replied, "The restaurant wasn't all that busy, and it's a pretty classy place. So after the initial commotion of our arrival, it wasn't too bad."

_The commotion of our arrival_? I thought. Then I remembered wrestling with my dress and that bar stool. I flushed a deep red. Emmett laughed.

"And how many times has she done that?" he asked.

"Not so many," Edward chuckled. Then he raised an eyebrow. "She didn't realize anyone was looking at her."

This brought on another round of hysterics from everyone at the table. I just sat there, completely mortified. Jasper sent me some of their humor and I was able to smile a thank you at him.

Suddenly Edward stiffened and sent a death glare over my shoulder. I instantly pitied whoever had received it and instinctively whipped around to look. No one was staring, but a guy at the bar was drinking with a trembling glass.

"If it bothers you so much, we can go, Edward," I offered looking back at him.

"No, I'm fine," he assured me, much to my dismay. "Really, I can understand most of it. You do look like heaven in the flesh," I blushed as he went on, "But it irritates me to no end when they can see clearly that we came together, that you have a _ring_ on your left hand, and they are still tying to think of ways to pick up on you."

Have I mentioned how sexy Edward is when he's jealous? Smirking, I moved from my chair into Edward's lap, careful to keep my legs together as Rose had advised. His hands went naturally around my waist.

"Shall I make it crystal clear for them?" I asked. Before he could respond, I grabbed the front of his shirt in both hands and kissed him for all I was worth, essentially marking my territory. After a few minutes of being blissfully unaware of anything that wasn't Edward, I pulled away to trail kisses to his ear. I sucked gently on his lobe and whispered, "What are they thinking _now_?"

"That I'm the luckiest vampire to ever walk the earth," he whispered, his eyes still closed and head back a little. Then he brought his face down to meet my eyes. "Oh wait, that's what _I_ was thinking," he smirked. "They're all green with jealousy."

Alice cleared her throat and I turned to look at her. "Well, after _that_ little display, you have no more, 'oh no, I couldn't possibly, I'm far too shy' excuses."

"Fine Alice, I give up," I sighed, "I can only be embarrassed so many times in one day."

"You would _think_ that…" Emmett said, finishing his statement with a knowing smirk. I stuck my tongue out at him, which made Edward chuckle.

I turned to Jasper, "You had better keep the confidence flowing, hear me?"

He laughed and nodded, "I'd be the last one to spoil Alice's fun, Bella. If you need a boost, you got it."

"Yeah well, I'm sure I'll need it," I insisted, then I looked to Alice, "Alright you bossy little pixie, how's this going down?"

Everyone laughed, but Alice, who wasn't pleased about the name but let it slide, for now. "I collect everyone's song choice, then turn them into the DJ. He lets us all go in a row, because he's nice like that," she explained.

Rose smirked, while Jasper rolled his eyes. I got an idea just why the DJ was so 'nice.' Alice looked around at everyone and nodded as she saw the choices they made. When Japer picked, she kissed his cheek.

"I still need yours, Bella," she said.

"Didn't you see the one I picked?" I asked.

She smiled that sweet smile at me, "This is all about you, Bella! You get to go _twice_." I blanched and grabbed Edward's hand. Before he could object for me, Jasper sent a big ol' wave of confidence, and before I knew it, I had picked another song and Alice was off to the DJ.

"Wait!" I called after her, but it was too late. I just _had_ to call her bossy.

Alice skipped back to the table. "Okay, Bella, you get to go first, then Rose, Emmett, Jasper and me, Edward, and then Bella again."

"Wait! You and Jasper are going together? That's not fair." I objected.

"Did you want to sing a duet?" Edward asked, a little surprised. My mind was suddenly filled with the horrifying vision of me standing next to Edward on stage, trying to keep up with his beauty _and_ his voice.

"No!" I yelled, then lowered my voice, "I mean, no thanks, I was just surprised is all."

"There are two more singers, then you're up, Bella," Alice informed me. "Eeeew, and they're both horrible."

I decided to take some comfort in that and while we suffered through the caterwauling, I tried to remember the lyrics to my first song. I knew there would be a prompter, but I really didn't want to look like a dork. Long before I was ready, the DJ announced my name and I was on stage, the music starting. I was, thankfully, able to keep it in key, but my voice trembled through the first verse. Jasper, bless him, noticed and turned up the confidence I was feeling. By the time I got to the first chorus, I sounded much stronger:

_You've already won me over, In spite of me,_

_And don't be alarmed if I fall, __**Head Over Feet**__,_

At this point, Emmett started to laugh, loudly.

_And don't be surprised if I love you, For all that you are,_

_I couldn't help it, It's all your fault!_

The rest of the Cullens started to laugh as well, fully getting my jibe at Edward's mega guilt complex. Their laughter and the look on Edward's face was all I needed. My confidence began to soar, without Jasper's help.

_You treat me like, I'm a princess,_

_I'm not used to, liking that._

Edward was smiling that beautiful crooked smile. I changed the next verse a little:

_Your love is thick, and it swallowed me whole,_

_You're so much braver, than (you take the) credit for…_

Now I was actually having fun and by the harmonica break I even dared to dance around a little, without moving my feet much of course.

_You're the best listener, that I've ever met,_

_You're my best friend, best friend with benefits! _(I winked at Edward)

_What took me so long…_

The personal meaning behind this verse was not lost on Edward and his eyes shone brightly. I thought surely his smile would break out of the confines of his face. When I finished there was a thunder of applause and I suddenly remembered more than the Cullens had been listening. I hurried off the stage and back to our table.

"Bella, that was incredible," Edward said. The emotion behind it was intense, so was the kiss he followed it up with. I smiled brightly at Alice, when he released me.

"That was actually kind of fun," I admitted sheepishly.

"I knew you'd do a great job, Bella," Alice said, tapping her temple.

"Shhhh!" Emmett hushed us, "Rosie is starting!"

I looked up at the stage and saw Rosalie in her skin tight, blood red dress, owning the stage, every eye riveted. As the music started, she began to move her body with the rhythm and I instantly felt pity for every male hormone in the room.

_I've been a bad, bad, girl, I've been careless with a delicate man,_

_It's a sad, sad, world, when a girl will break a boy, just because she can,_

_Don't you tell me to deny it, I done wrong and I wanna suffer for my sins._

I watched as Rose stalked around the stage, sometimes using the mic stand, sometimes letting the cord trail behind her. Every thing she did, she did with one purpose, and she did it _well_.

_What I need is a good defense, cause I'm feeling like a __**Criminal**__,_

_And I need to be redeemed to the one I've sinned against,_

_Cause he's all I ever knew of love. _(She blew Emmett a kiss)

The song went on for almost five minutes and by the end I was sure the bouncers would have to come out and hose the male contingent down, most especially Emmett. However, as soon as Rose was done singing, he was up on stage, giving them all a very potent display of ownership. When he finally let her go, she bowed to her audience, raising the catcalls and whistles again, then joined us at the table so Emmett could begin.

My jaw dropped when he opened his mouth and began to sing. I knew Emmett was a big softy under all the bulging muscles, but it was still a shock to hear such a sweet, albeit sensual, voice coming out of such a tough looking bloke.

_One mile to every inch, your skin like porcelain,_

_One pair of candy lips, and your bubble gum tongue,_

_And if you want love, we'll make it, Swim in a deep sea, of blankets,_

_So take all your big plans, and break 'em,_

_This is bound to be a while,_

_**Your body is a Wonderland!**_

As he went on, I saw several women fanning themselves. During the second chorus a pair of underwear flung up on the stage. Emmett ignored them, having eyes only for Rose, but she stood up to her full height and spun around with a murderous look in the direction they came from. She stared for a moment, then turned around and sat down again. Emmett's smile grew wider and he winked at her. She blew him another kiss. There were still whistles and sighs, and even a few moans, but nothing else came near the stage.

When Emmett finished, he jumped off the stage and Rose jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. Accompanied by much fanfare, they left the club without losing contact between their lips.

"This is why we don't usually let them go one right after the other," Edward whispered in my ear. I laughed, and wondered if we would see them again, or if they had gone home for the night.

"I'm starting to realize it was a good thing I went first," I replied. Alice was halfway up the stage steps, but heard me.

"You also get to go last!" she reminded me. I felt momentarily sick, but then Jasper's amusement and happiness at being able to make Alice happy overcame me. And probably everyone else in the place.

_Baby let's cruise, away from here  
Don't be confused, the way is clear  
& if you want it you got it forever  
This is not a one night stand, baby,_

Their voices blended together as they gave and took from a single melody, turning it into a duet. They never once looked at the audience and I was once again feeling like I was watching something very private.

_The music is played for love,  
__**Cruisin'**__ is made for love  
I love it when we're cruisin' together_

The crowd was mellower as Edward stepped up on the stage, which suited his song just fine. The music started with a solo and I could almost see him sitting at his piano instead of up on stage. He began to sing and my heart began to break.

_I'm (_17)_ for a moment,  
Caught in between 10 and 20,  
And I'm just dreaming,  
Counting the ways to where you are,_

I knew this song, and I knew he was playing with the lyrics, and I knew what he meant.

(_18) there's still time for you  
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself  
Within a morning star  
(18) I'm all right with you  
(18), there's never a wish better than this  
When you only got __**100 years**__ to live_

The pain and joy that joined together in his angelic voice left a hush over the crowd that lingered as the last notes faded away. My poor Edward. My poor, perfect, beautiful, Edward that loved me so deeply and wanted so much for me. I don't know how it happened, but I was standing and he was brushing away the steady stream of tears I hadn't known were falling.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he whispered, kissing my damp cheeks. Alice was up in a flash and dabbing at my face, fixing, or at least removing the streaks from, my make-up.

"You're up Bella," she reminded me gently.

"I don't know if I can," my voice shook. Edward held me tightly, kissing the top of my head. Jasper amplified the love I was feeling, or perhaps he was reflecting Edward's. In either case it came with such a strong dose of pride that I knew just what I wanted.

"I think that's perfect, Bella," Alice agreed with my change of plans.

"The DJ won't mind?" I wondered how much trouble it would be for him.

"Not if you ask nicely," she winked at me.

I kissed Edward on the cheek, and walked toward the stage, stopping at the DJ's table on my way. I whispered my request sweetly and even batted my eyes like I'd seen Alice and Rose do when trying to get their way. The DJ stared at me blankly for a moment, then nodded his head and smiled at me. I thanked him and went up to the stage. Alice and Jasper were laughing while Edward was smiling ruefully. _What?_ I mouthed before beginning up the steps.

"And you say _I_ dazzle people," he replied, chuckling.

Then the music started with a deep bass line that sounded and felt like the beating of a heart.

_Watching every motion_

_In my foolish lover's game_

_On this endless ocean_

_Finally lovers know no shame_

I gathered the emotion boiling through my veins and pushed it out through lyrics that didn't make sense to anyone but us, that could only apply to Edward and me.

_Turning and returning_

_To some secret place inside_

_Watching in slow motion_

_As you turn around and say_

_**Take my breath away**_

I could see that Edward was actually holding his breath, or he'd lost it. The room had gone quiet again, but I didn't notice. I was too caught up in Edward's gaze.

_Watching I keep waiting_

_Still anticipating love_

_Never hesitating_

_To became the fated ones_

_Through the hourglass I saw you_

_In time you slipped away,_

_When the mirror crashed I called you_

_And turned to hear you say_

_If only for today_

**_I am unafraid!_**

The tears were running again, but my voice didn't falter. I had too much to say.

_**Take my breath away**_

When the song ended, Edward stood and came to the edge of the stage, lifting me lightly down by my waist. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my lips softly. "Let's go home," he whispered.

I nodded soundlessly and walked over to thank Alice. I hugged her, glad she knew what I was planning to say, because I wasn't sure I could get words out at the moment.

"You're welcome, Bella," she replied, retuning my hug. She looked up to Edward, "We're going to wait around for Emmett and Rose. They should be back soon, and then we'll all go for round two."

Edward nodded to her and then nodded his goodbye to Jasper in that way guys have. With one hand wrapped securely around my waist, he led me out of the club to the Volvo. Feeling too far away, I leaned over, putting my head on his shoulder, wrapping both my hands tightly around his right arm while he drove with his left. We rode in an emotional silence for some time. It wasn't sad, or unpleasant, just thick.

Edward was the first to break the quiet. "Bella," he said softly, bringing my hands up to his lips and giving them gentle kisses. I looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "If your last song was a last minute change, what were you going to sing?"

I blushed and scrunched my nose in embarrassment. I had chosen it as a joke and after what we had shared, now it just sounded lame.

"Please tell me," he pleaded, pulling gently on my arms. I sighed. I could never keep anything from this man. Whether or not he could read my mind was irrelevant.

"Once bitten, Twice shy," I whispered _very_ quietly.

Edward paused in shock for a moment, then his glorious laughter rang out, lighting the night like the noonday sun. I smiled and laughed with him.

* * *

**So? A little more than fluff in this chappie… Loved it? Hate it? Obviously I don't own any of the songs. Or movies…(which are all sited on the youtube links) I have to confess, the first time I was thinking of Edward when 100 Years came on the radio in the car, it made me cry. Poor Edward. PS I think this is the longest chapter EVER! 8P**

I'm not sure when I'll post again. I still have ideas for this little story, but there are things that need to be done now that I've gotten this chapter out of my system. So, I'll see you when I see you! 8P

Thanks to my Beta, Amose for editing this even though she hates lyric-in-the-text scenes, which has to be done with Karaoke.


End file.
